Marine scientists from the Loughs Agency and Atlantic Technological University (ATU) are at sea this week in the North Channel.
The team sailed from Foyle Port aboard Ireland’s national research vessel, the RV Tom Crean, for a seven-day expedition running from 22 to 28 February.
Their mission is to redeploy underwater acoustic receivers to detect tagged salmon and other fish moving between Ireland and Scotland.
The equipment will also record the sounds of dolphins, porpoises and whales.
The work forms part of the EU Horizon Europe-funded STRAITS project — Strategic Infrastructure for Improved Animal Tracking in European Seas.
Rachel Morgan, Chief Scientist and Scientific Officer for STRAITS at Loughs Agency, said the North Channel is “one of the most important marine gateways around Ireland”.
“By redeploying our acoustic receivers and passive listening devices, we are rebuilding a vital underwater monitoring network,” she said.
“This allows us to track salmon and other fish as they migrate, while also listening for dolphins, porpoises and whales that use these waters.”
She added: “That knowledge is essential if we are to protect vulnerable species in a changing and increasingly busy marine landscape.”
Alongside telemetry work, the team is collecting environmental data on temperature, salinity and depth to better understand conditions beneath the surface.
ATU is leading the project’s passive acoustic monitoring of cetaceans.
Dr Joanne O’Brien, Principal Investigator at ATU, said listening to the underwater soundscape helps detect animals “that might otherwise go unseen”.
“This technology allows us to build a clearer picture of how cetaceans use the North Channel and how best to protect them,” she said.
The expedition is funded through the Marine Institute’s Research Shiptime Programme, which provides access to Ireland’s research fleet.
Aodhan Fitzgerald, Research Vessel Operations Manager at the Marine Institute, said the programme supports “high-quality scientific studies that support evidence-based policy and sustainable ocean management”.
The 52.8-metre RV Tom Crean is equipped for fisheries science, oceanography and seabed mapping, with modern laboratories and advanced sonar systems.
STRAITS is establishing coordinated acoustic tracking arrays in four key European corridors: the Danish Straits, the North Channel, the Strait of Gibraltar and the Turkish Straits.
The project aims to close biodiversity monitoring gaps and strengthen marine conservation and fisheries management across Europe.
